There exists a high demand to produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from renewable sources. FDCA is an attractive alternative to terephthalic acid in producing polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to manufacture polyester fabrics. Additionally, FDCA may also serve as a precursor for adipic acid, which in turn may be used to produce nylons. FDCA may also serve as a precursor for jet fuels (e.g., Jet-A), as well as other diol-, diamine-, or dialdehyde-based chemicals.
Currently, several methods are known for synthesizing FDCA. For example, FDCA may be produced by dehydration of hexose derivatives. Hexose such as fructose or glucose can undergo acid-catalyzed dehydration to form 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is then oxidized to produce FDCA. These reactions, however, are generally not selective and yield a number of side products, such as humin, levulinic acid and formic acid. Furthermore, HMF may undergo polymerization under the oxidation reaction conditions to produce FDCA. Due to these various side product reactions, the yields for FDCA from hexose derivatives are typically quite low.
FDCA may also be produced by oxidation of 2,5-disubstituted furans, and by catalytic conversion of various furan derivatives. Yields for these reactions are also typically low, or may require harsh reaction conditions that are not suitable for commercial production.
Thus, what is needed in the art is a commercially-viable method of producing FDCA from renewable resources, such as seaweed, alginate or pectin.